Thrashing-machine



2 sheets -Sheet 1. -A. WEMPLE & G. W. SMITH.

Patented Mar. 18, 1890.

THRASHING MACHINE.

(-No Model.)

WS7111% M ffia d M w (No Model.) 2 Sheets Shet 2. A. 'WEMPLE 85 G. W. SMITH.

THR'ASHING MACHINE.

Patented Mar. 18

N. PETERS Phvlv-Lilhngraphflr. Wilhlllglun. D-(l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ANDREW WEMPLE AND GEORGE WV. SMITILOF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

-GI'HRASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 423,581, dated March 18, 1890.

Application filed December 13, 1889. Serial No. 333,603, (No model.)

in the features of construction and combina-.

tions of parts hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a vertical longitudinal section of a machine constructed in accordance with our invention, said section being taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. In said Fig. 1 a chute for feeding the grain is shown in side elevation and certain power-transmitting belts, which are located at the side of the machine nearest the eye, are shown in dotted lines. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine with parts broken away to show the interior construction. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectionof the thrashing devices. Fig.4 is a longitudinal section on the indirect line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

In said drawings, A indicates the supporting-frame of the machine, conveniently supported upon wheels at a in the ordinary manner, and provided at its front end with frameposts A A, and near its rear end with frameposts A A between which posts are located other posts A A To the posts A and A are attached side pieces a a, forming a housing within which the winnowing devices are located. Y

The thrashing devices (indicated as a whole by B) are shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4c, and are supported upon the frame-posts A and A Said thrashingdevices comprise an upper stationary conical thrashing-plate B and a lower revoluble conical thrashing-plate E the opposing surfaces of said plates being practically parallel with each other. The lower thrashing-plate is sustained upon a revoluble vertical shaft B which is suitably driven to give rotary motion to the thrashing-plate. The said upper thrashing-plate to the straw-carrier.

plate B and forms the top of a housing which incloses the plate B The sides of such housing are formed by a cylindric Wall b which extends around three sides of the plate B, and

are continued in parallel walls b 19 which form a radial discharge-passage b for the exit of the thrashed straw from the housing Within the outer Wall b of the housing is located an inner perforated wall or screen Z2 to which is attached a horizontal bottom Z)", which extends beneath the lower thrashing-plate B The said bottom b is perforated or apertured and may be made of a perforated plate, as shown, or of a wire cloth or screen. The said bottom Z5 extends between the walls 11 b of the discharge-passage b and forms the bottom of said passage. The space between the external imperforate wall b of the housing and the inner perforated wall 19 thereof is open at its bottom to allow the free escape of grain therefrom. The bottom b is preferably provided with a central opening for the passage of the vertical shaft B which supports the lower thrashing-plate B said opening being provided with an upwardly-extending cylindric flange Z) to prevent the escape of straw downwardly through said opening. Beneath the entire housing is located a grain-receiving surface or shoe D to receive the grain separated from the straw by the thrashing devices, and which passes from the housing through the perforation thereof.- The lower thrashing-plate 13' is provided on its periphery with a plurality of radial boaters 1)? 17 whose outer ends are located close to the in-- the plates, and they may be of any desired form, but are preferably triangular in shape. The teeth are conveniently arranged in annular rows with the points of the teeth on the upper plate located about opposite the spaces between the teeth on the lower plate; but this arrangement is not essential.

The advantage gained by the-use of the flat radiallyarranged teeth on the thrashing-plate is that such teeth greatly facilitate the outward movement of the straw and separated grain ,between the plates under the centrifugal action caused bythe rapid turning of the lower plate, while at the sametime insuring the dislodgment' of all of the grainkernels from the straw by the whipping or striking of the straw and heads thereon against the edges of the stationary and moving teethbetween which the straw passes. The teeth are not necessarily arranged to interpenetrate in the manner of the teeth on the cylinder and concave of thrashing-machines heretofore commonly used; but the teeth may be so set as to leave a clear space between them, as shown in the accompanying drawings, thereby enabling the machine to be operated with less power than when the stationary and movable teeth overlap and are required to break or tear asunder much of -thestraw.

Inworking on some kinds of straw-such, for instance, as that which requires a severe and prolonged thrashing action to separate the grain therefrom-it may be found'necessary to'bring the plates closer together, and in some instances so near each other thatthe points of the teeth will overlap or pass each other. The lower thrashing-plate B is herein shown as made vertically adjustable on the shaft B in order to afford an adjustment of the teet-htowardand from each other forv working on different kinds of grain. The particular device herein shown as employed for this purpose consists of a set-screw I), passing downwardly through the center of the thrashing-plate B and bearing on the top of the shaft B The shaft B is conveniently connected with the plate B by means of a hub 19 on said plate, within which the upper end of the shaft is inserted, and said shaft is held in the hub by set-screws b b, which serve to secure the shaft rigidly in thehub after the plate has been adjusted to the dedevices and other. parts of the machine the operation of the said thrashing devices will be briefly stated.

The unthrashed grain or straw delivered to the hopper passes downwardly to the space between the thrashing plates B B and, being caught by the teeth of the revolving lower plate, is given a rapid rotary motion, and by centrifugal force is carried outwardly between the plates... During its passage between the plates it is acted upon by the stationary and revolving teeth, which operate upon the shoe D. A large portion of the grain which does not thus pass through the perforated wall will fall upon and pass through the apertured bottom I), and will be caught by the shoe 1), the separation of the grain from the straw which rests upon the bottom being greatly facilitated by the action of the heaters which carry the straw around upon the perforated bottom, while the perforated bottom to the passage will'allow the escape of grain which may have been carried with the straw out of the housing. l

The straw deliveredthrough the passage b? is carried away by a suitable carrying device adapted for accomplishinga still further sepwork of the machine, which is sustained in its rear by braces 0 The said traveling belt is inclined upwardly toward the rear of the machine, and is supported upon tworollers c a, being driven by the larger of said rollers c, the shaft of which extends outside of the frame and is provided with a belt-pulley 0 The smaller roller 0 is supported in adjustable bearings 0 to provide for the shifting of the roller to loosen or tightenthe belt. A hinged cover is located over the straw-carrier in the usual manner. The belt orapron O is provided on its face with a plurality of fin- IIO The said belt and vibrating spout or passage b leading from the thrashing-plates, so that as the straw is thrown out therefrom it is engaged by the teeth-on thev belt as they pass over the roller and carried up toward the opposite end of the carrier. The end of said spout overlaps the lower and forward end of the vibrating frameC so that a continuous supporting-surface is provided for the straw asit passes from the said spout to the vibrating frame, said frame serving as a surface over which the straw is drawn by the carrier. The said vibrating frame comprises a frame-work pivoted at c to the frame of the machine and having a perforated covering or sieve 0 forming the top surface of the same. The said sieve is provided on its upper face with a plurality of fingers or pins 0 0 which are conveniently secured thereto by means of longitudinal strips 0", fastened to the frame-work beneath the sieve 0 said pins passing throught-he sieve and being secured in said strips.

0 is a plate located beneath the sieve and having its open end located over the vibrating shoe E, which contains the grain sifting and winnowing devices of .the machine. The teeth'of the belt 0' and those'on the sieve c are arranged to overlap, interpenetrate, or pass between each other, so that the straw will be drawn against the teeth on the sieve by the teeth on the belt, thereby pulling apart. and separating the straw to allow the escape of the grain-kernels therefrom.

The oscillating shoe D, which is located beneath the thrashing-cylinder and the perforated annular housing, is made, preferably, of about the same size and shape in its forward end as the bottom of the housing, so that it will not interfere with the frame-posts. The said shoe is provided on its upper face with transverse strips cl (1, inclined on their upper faces and having side edges which face the rear end of the machine. The said oscillating frame is slotted, as shown at d, to allow the passage of the vertical shaft, and the rear end of the said shoe D overlaps the forward end of the shoe E, which contains the winnowing devices. Said shoe E is made in a mannerheretofore common, and contains an inclined board e and a screen e, beneath which is located an inclined bottom e discharging into the receiving-trough e A fanblower F is arranged to give an upward blast of air through the grain falling from the board 6 and upon the screen, in a manner wise not appear owing to the sectional line on which said Fig. 3 is taken, have been 'shown in dotted lines, being thus shown for convenience of illustration. The pulley Z2 is geared to the pulley f by means of a belt f thus serving to communicate motion to the blower F.

E indicates a crank-shaft, desirably supported in bearingssecured to the posts A A and projecting beyond the sides of the machine, being provided at each end with a pulley, (lettered, respectively,a a At the lefthand side of the machine a rod or bar (1 is pivoted at one end to one crank of the said shaft and at its other end to a pivoted lever D, which serves to give support to the oscillating frame D at its front end, the rear end of said oscillating frame D being supported by a pivoted rod (1 The other crank of the shaft E at the right-hand side of the machine is connected by means of a rod or bar 6 with the vibrating shoe -E, the said shoe E being loosely supported by means of links E pivoted thereto and to the side posts A The said shaft E receives motion from the pulley b", the pulley a on said shaft being connected therewith by a suitable belt 6 It will thus be obvious that when the shaft E, is turned the oscillating frame and vibrating shoe will be given an oscillatory or vibratory movement. The pulley a affixed to the shaft E at the left-hand side of the machine, is

geared by means of a belt a with the pulley c of the roller cof the straw-carrier, and thus imparts a rotary movement to said roller.

For communicating a vibratory motion to the vibrating frame 0 said frame is connected by means of a link 0 with the vibrating shoe E,'said link being pivoted to both of said parts.

hen the said vibrating shoe is moved by means of its driving-connections, it has a rearward and upward movement, swinging upon the link E, by which it is connected with the frame-posts. v

In the operation of the machine the grain is' separated from the straw, and, falling through the perforated bottom of the housing upon the oscillating frame D, is moved thereon toward the vibrating shoe E by the vibrating movement of said shoe E in a familiar manner, and delivers it to the upper forward end of said shoe E, where it is winnowed and dropped into the receiving-trough a The straw after passing from the thrashing-cylinder passes out through the spout b and is caught by the fingers on the traveling belt and carried by it upwardly along the face of the vibrating frame C whereby what little grain remains in the straw after leaving the thrashing devices or pins will be separatedand escape through the perforations in the plate or sieve of the said frame and will fall upon the plate 0 by which it is conveyed tothe vibrating shoe E, where it is winnowed and follows the course taken by the other grain.

\Ve claim as our invention- 1. In a thrashing-machine, opposing conical thrashing-plates, one of which has a rotary motion about a vertical axis and is provided with radial arms on its periphery, each of said plates being provided with a plurality of radially-arranged fiat teeth, said plates being separated to afford an annular space between the teeth for the passage of the straw, and a housingsurrounding said plates, substantially as described.

2. In a thrashing-machine, the combination, with opposing conical thrashing-plates, one

- of which is rotated about a vertical axis, of

a housing surrounding said plates, said hous-. in g having a perforated bottom and sides and being provided with an external imperforate wall surrounding the perforated sides of the housing, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the stationary upper thrashing-plate B and the rotating lower thrashing-plateBZ having peripheral beaters,'of a housing which is perforated to allow theesc'ape of grain from the straw carriedar'o'und with the heaters, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the thrashingplates, one of which rotates and is provided prongs, a removable screen located beneath the same, said screen having inclined teeth or prongs on its upper surface, and having also a grain-receiving plate or surface located beneath the'same and secured thereto, and means for vibrating said screen, the opposing teeth on the'belt and screen beingarranged to overlap or inter-penetrate, substantially as described.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we. aflix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

ANDREW WEMPLE. GEORGE W. SMITH.

Witnesses:

HARRY COBB KENNEDY,

C. CLARENCE PooLE. 

